


i'll be by your side (anytime you're needing me)

by genuinelylarry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega/Omega, Pining, louis cant stand the overpowering scent of Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:41:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24343684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genuinelylarry/pseuds/genuinelylarry
Summary: When Harry breaks with his over-protective boyfriend and moves in to live with Louis, neither thought it could change their lives forever.or,ABO AU | omega\omega where Harry and Louis are bestfriends. Harry breaks up with his boyfriends as moves in to Louis'. Louis didn't think it'd be a problem. But, turns out there is a big problem.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 101
Collections: 1D A/B/O Fic Fest





	i'll be by your side (anytime you're needing me)

**Author's Note:**

> I want to start of by thanking the mod @pocketsunshineharry was hosting this and being so kind, helpful and encouraging along the way! 
> 
> This fic is based on the following prompt- O/O where Harry has an Alpha boyfriend who is super controlling and Louis is his omega best friend. H finally breaks up with his bf and moves in with Louis. Louis is going crazy because Harry's scent is everywhere and he can't escape it. 
> 
> well i hope you enjoy it. i might have lost track of the prompt but I guess the general sense of it is there. not explicit because i do not write smut. (I hope whoever gave that prompt gets to read this - if you are reading i hope its atleast a bit up to the expectations of the prompt) 
> 
> not beta-ed so all mistakes are mine.
> 
> last but not the least, Enjoy!

Louis returns to his apartment to find someone already there. 

As he walks up to his front door, Louis could tell something was off. There was a different scent around it and he could see a light on through the living room window.  When  he steps into his house, his senses get alert, his nose floods with the scent.  _ Harry’s scent. _

The air is thick with it . But the usual calm that washes  over him with the scent, doesn’t. Instead, he feels something troubling and tense in the air.

He kicks off his shoes, hangs the keys on the rack and calls out, ‘Harry?’

There’s no response.  He walks in further, sets his laptop bag on the dining table and loosens his tie.  The scent hangs heavy in the air and its everywhere and it makes Louis’ head feel woozy.  He spots a luggage bag with  _ Harry _ engraved on  it.  A pair of Chelsea boots lying next to it. A jacket draped over the couch.

Harry usually came over to Louis' house but he never  scattered his stuff like that. He liked to be organized and clean. You could say it was the omega instinct, but Louis, an omega definitely wasn’t  organized. It was a Harry quality.

And then there was the whole 2 feet luggage bag.

He moves further into the house, towards his bedroom , a faint sobbing can be heard. As he moves closer, the sounds get louder. He pushes his bedroom door open and there lies Harry, curled up in a  foetal  position on his bed. His face covered by his arms, his body shaking with soft sobs.

Here in the room, Harry’s scent is overpowering and his  sadness increases it and Louis' instinct to protect his fellow Omega goes crazy. His heart is reluctant. Not because he doesn’t like Harry but because he likes him. A little too much, maybe. (Now is not the time for this. He needs  keep his feelings in check.)

‘Harry,’ he calls out softly, placing a  gentle hand on his shoulder. It stops shaking and Harry peeks from under his arms. 

His  green  eyes are puffy and r immed red , tear tracks etched into skin. He looks devastated.

‘What happened, love?’ The endearment rolls off his tongue before he can stop himself.  The question causes Harry to let out another sob.

Louis sits down next to him and Harry instantly gets up and wraps his arms around Louis.  Another thick wave of his scent washes over Louis. He breathes deeply,  despising himself for it.

Nevertheless, Louis wraps his own arms around his  crying best friend. They’d been best friends since  their kindergarten where Louis had taken the first move to sit with the “boy who wears funny clothes” a nd  since then they’d been through thick and thin.

‘ I broke up with Brian ,’  Harry sobs into his neck.

‘ I'm so sorry,’ Louis coos.  Harry had told him all about Brian – his overprotective boyfriend . But Harry always said only good things about Brian and the bad parts of their relationship were vaguely blurted out  in the vulnerable hours. Louis never said anything about it, as long as Harry was happy.

Harry pulls away and nods his head, wiping the tears from his face. ‘I’m sorry, I ruined your  shirt,’ he says staring at Louis' shoulder and Louis realises it wet with Harry's tears.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ he says waving  a hand. ‘ Do you want to talk about it?’ he asks  tentatively.

Harry shrugs,  his loose white shirt slipping off from his right shoulder; it’s not his size, Louis realises. Maybe Brian's shirt.

‘I’m sorry for coming  without telling you,’ he says, picking a stray thread on his  grey sweatpants. 

‘Don’t be silly, Harry . I’m glad you came here,’ he says.  The corners of  Harry’s  mouth lift slightly. 

‘Can we talk later?’ 

‘Yeah, sure. Whenever you’re ready.’

Harry nods. ‘Why don’t you freshen up, I’ll make some soup .’ He stands up and walks towards the door. 

‘Harry, no,’ Louis says firmly. This man is just too kind, he thinks. ‘I’ ll make the soup ,’

‘But-'

‘No buts, Harry.’ Louis shakes his head. ‘go find us a nice movie or show to watch. I’ll be there soon.’

*

‘Here you go,’ Louis says placing the tray of two steaming bowls of soup on the coffee table. 

Louis has changed into comfortable pyjama bottoms and a cosy hoodie ; hair still damp from the  shower.  Harry has settled into the couch wrapped in blankets.  He sniffs and goes to pick up the bowl. 

‘Careful, it’s hot,’ Louis warns, settling down next to him, tucking his  feet underneath him. Some movie Louis doesn’t recognize plays on the TV. 

On the TV screen plays  _ Stranger Things, _ __ the kids cycling off to wherever. There’s a comfortable silence, although tainted by the unfortunate event.

Some time passes, and Harry keeps his finished bowl of soup back on the table. Louis had finished his earlier.  He picks up the tray and  washes them up and returns, dimming the lights in the house . 

With the bowl s  no longer needing attention, Harry  scoots closer to him.  Louis tucks him  i nto his side, an arm over his shoulder, Harry’s chest resting on his.  They  watch the show silently as it runs on auto play. 

It's always been like that between them. When words failed, actions spoke louder. And with both of them being an Omega, it helped a lot. They were more perceptive of each  other's feelings, always wanting to comfort  the other. It felt nice. 

A tear drop rolls down his hoodie and Louis realises Harry’s crying , again. 

‘Am I a bad Omega, Louis?’  his voice is so soft that Louis almost misses it over the shouts if the kids on the screen. 

‘ Of course not, Harry. Not a bit.’  He wants to break Brian’s neck for making Harry feel this way.

‘ Brian ...he said  good- good omegas don’t leave their Alp- alphas,’ his words punctuated with sobs.

‘No,’ Louis feels lost at words.  He couldn’t upset Harry further, neither could he let Harry feel so terrible. ‘ I, Harry, do you want to tell me from the start?’ he finally asks gently.

Harry nods, ‘You know about  Brian  and... he was getting too overprotective...’ Another sob.

Louis nods encouragingly. ‘Well, I told him off, sometime ago...He got really mad,’ Harry shudders and Louis pulls him in. Letting his scent wash over Harry, to calm him down. 

Harry sighs, ‘It was bad, Louis,’ he looks up with green, green eyes and Louis feels his heart clench. A sob clawing its way up his throat, he pushes it away. 

‘Did-' he clears his throat, ‘Was he  violent ?’ he asks  gently. 

Harry shakes his head vigorously. ‘No... He used his voice... but that ... he  dictated me a lot ...’ he goes quiet.

And Louis seed red; rage courses through him.  He hated, despised Alphas that thought they were so high and mighty and thought they owned omegas.  But he just lets Harry speak for now. And he absolutely despised people who raised their voice over anyone else. He clenches his fist, takes a deep breath and lets Harry continue patting him encouragingly on his back.

“You know he was controlling right?” Harry looks up through tear filled eyes and Louis nods gently. “Yeah, well it got to a point where he didn’t even let me dress the way I wanted. Maybe he was right. I did look silly sometimes.” Harry gives a shrug that breaks Louis' heart.  Louis never thought what Harry wore wrong. Not in kindergarten, not now and he never will.

“Harry, no,” he says firmly, lifting Harry's chin to look him in the eyes. “You decide what you want to wear and dress the way your heart desires and it doesn’t matter what others think. If it makes you happy, it should be enough.” 

“Thank you, Louis. I truly do not know where I’d be without you,” he moves closer to give Louis a hug. “You’re my best friend in the whole world. I love you,”

Hugging back tightly, Louis says, “I love you, too.” He doesn’t choke up when he says that. Because right now it  isn't about Louis.  It's about  Harry and that’s  what's is important.

*

Ever since, they had first talked, the two of them found comfort in each other. Maybe it was the omega bond, maybe it was just how they enjoyed each other’s company. No judgements, nothing. Just pure love and support. 

But, somewhere in that journey, Louis fell in love with Harry. His quirkiness, his uniqueness, his jokes that weren’t even that funny. But those jokes made Harry happy, so Louis went along. From the age of five to now at the age of twenty-five, they had never left each other’s sides. They stuck through every thick and thin. 

When Harry fell in love with Brian –an alpha- Louis tried not to care; but then Harry went and moved in with Brian, it broke Louis’ heart into a little too many pieces. But he couldn’t say anything. There was a time when he had almost said what he felt about Harry but before he could get a word out of his mouth, Harry had announced about Brian. Louis had smashed his heart’s desires and put on a brave face, smiled and hugged Harry. 

Then there was the fact of an omega falling for another omega. It wasn’t anything wrong but it was very rare and so when Louis had first realised his feelings, he had tried to put them away. It ended up making Louis a mess, so he let go and embraced it. It hasn’t been easy but he’s trying. He has tried to see different people, dated a few alphas and betas here and there but it hasn’t really mattered. His heart always comes back to Harry. 

“Louis?”

He opens his eyes, brought out of his thoughts by Harry who is standing at his door. The car key in his hand. “what’s up?” Louis says sitting up in bed and rubbing a hand over his face to clear his mind. 

“I was going to get groceries. Do you want to come along?” Harry sounds hesitant and a little timid. “You’ve been in bed since breakfast, I thought it might do you good to go out for a while. It's not a problem if you don’t want to come, I can go on my own. Yeah, I'll just go, you can rest if you’re not feeling well. I'm sorry for -”

“Harry!” Louis interrupts his rambling. “Will you give me a chance? It’s not a big deal, I can come with you. You don’t have to apologize for anything.” Louis walks up to Harry, placing his hands on his shoulders. “I’m glad you came to ask. A little outside will do me good.” 

Harry heaves a breath of relief and smiles at Louis. “Okay, I’ll get the car started and you can meet me there,” 

“Yes. Good plan.” Louis says and they part ways – Louis to freshen up and Harry towards the door. 

*

“Why do we need this green plant?” 

Harry giggles, dimples and all. “That’s kale, Louis. It’s healthy stuff.”

“Don’t even try to feed me that. I will never forgive you.” Louis says, eyeing the leafy thing suspiciously. 

“Sure,” Harry says, a mischievous smile playing at his lips. 

(Later, Harry makes a smoothie,  discreetly putting in the said kale and Louis doesn’t even realise. He finds it tasty actually.)

They continue shopping. A healthy item from Harry followed by an equally unhealthy item by Louis.  It’s a wonder how the two of them are even friends considering how polar opposites they are in so many of their choices. But there’s no doubt they have the same value and opinions deep down. 

“Oh! I forgot something in the dairy aisle. I’ll be right back,” Harry says and sprints  away to get whatever it is he needs while Louis continues to put in items the really need now. His bank balance will cry  literal tears i f he doesn’t keep in check the amount of junk food he keeps putting in now. 

It’s sometime when he realises Harry isn’t back from his run to the dairy aisle. He  turns the trolley around and goes to find him.  Before he gets there though, a wave of Harry's scent hits him laced with hurt and anxiety. The same way Harry was feeling when he came to Louis after his break up. Louis breaks into a light sprint, keeping in mind to not bump the trolley anywhere delicate or at people but realising its a hurdle, he puts it away in a corner. The food isn’t important right now. 

When he reaches there, he finds Harry as t the verge of tears and a man talking to him who is no doubt  Brian. He clenches his fists and walks towards Harry. 

“You don’t control me anymore, Brian,” Harry is saying. “I left you, you have no right over me anymore. And you never did, honestly. I don’t want to have this fight or this conversation here. I want you to just leave or let me go.”

Louis  analyses the situation. Its not good; two omegas  and a strong, tall alpha. An angry one at that.  He gets next to Harry and tries to calm him down with his own scent.  They’ve done this a thousand times before , calming each other down. He feels Harry relax next to him and when he takes Louis' hand in his own, Louis doesn’t let his  heart flutter. With one last  fuck you to Brian, they walk away from him. And with so many people watching, he doesn’t get a chance to do or say anything.

Back at the car with hands full of recently bought grocery , they stand with heads a little high on the feeling of telling off an alpha. The both of them giggle. Giggles turn into laughs through  which they manage to keep the bought items safely tucked into the back seat. 

“That felt so good,” Harry says, laughing . “I can’t believe he had the audacity to say such nonsense. I think staying with you is doing me some good.” 

Louis nods starting up the car. The car smells strongly of Harry's scent and goes straight to Louis’ head making him feel woozy and a little turned on. It’s the right kind of scent, filled with happiness and a kind of high. It’s probably from the  situation they just got out off. And so, Louis rolls down the windows of the car, letting in some fresh air and once he takes a few  deep breaths, he starts driving.  It helps a bit but Harry is extremely happy – which Louis isn’t complaining about at all – but the scent is making it difficult for him to concentrate. He thinks its probably his heat coming up soon. He manages, anyhow, and they reach the apartment.

Once, they get all the stuff to the apartment, Louis announces he’s going to for a quick run.

“But, you never run,” 

“I do, Harry. Well, sometimes.” He says closing the door to his room shut.  He gets changes into running clothes and shoes.

The last thing he hears Harry say before he leaves the house is, “I’ll keep dinner ready,” 

*

When he gets back from his run he goes straight to the shower. The house already smells of good food and his mind also feels much clearer after that run and breathing in so much fresh oxygen-rich air. The shower to calms him down and in the end, when he sits down for dinner, he feels much better than before. 

The dinner is lovely and tasty and he tells that to Harry. He's so grateful for him, so thankful for him cooking so much for him. He feels a bit bad about it. Harry shouldn’t have to do this for him. He came here for comfort and now he’s the one doing so much work around here. He makes sure he does the dishes after every meal though.

After dinner, they settle down with some hot chocolate - that Louis insists he make – to watch some movie together. The get comfy with blankets and the lights dim. Louis doesn’t pay much attention to what movie is playing but to the calming scent of Harry. It’s soft and smells like freshly washed linen. With his head rested on Harry’s chest he can feel Harry’s heart beat rhythmically and Louis feels his own beat to the same rhythm. 

“Louis,” the voice sounds far away. “Louis, wake up. You fell asleep half way through the movie.” 

Louis opens his eyes to see the TV screen now blank with their silhouettes reflected by the dim lights around. He is fully tucked into Harry’s side, successfully trapping him in place. 

“Get up, love. My leg’s getting numb,” Harry says, his voice a little hoarse from the lack of use for the past hour or so. 

So, Louis does. He gets up, feeling his hand cramped. “Ow, I’ve cramped my hand,” he says shaking it to get the blood moving; it  tingles like a thousand tiny needles are being poked into his arm.  He gets up out of the warmth and feels cold. 

They go the bedrooms together, after switching off the TV and the  lights. Harry kindly tucks Louis into bed and Louis wishes they could sleep together like old times. He always slept better next to Harry  but when Harry moved away, he got used to sleeping alone. It wasn’t fun waking up cold for a long time but he couldn’t do anything either. 

“Stay?” he asks Harry catching his hand just as he leaves.  Louis doesn’t see the look on Harry's face because his own flutter shut from the sleep. 

When Harry finally gets into bed, he’s still fully dressed in his pyjamas. They were never uncomfortable without clothes before. But, Louis’ sleep  numbed brain is unable to think why and what. For now, he’s content and warm and cuddled with Harry and that’s all that matters. 

*

The morning sun filters through the blinds in Louis's room; falling on the two  bodies tangled like vines on a wall. You wouldn’t be able to tell whose limb is whose. The room is filled with the sounds of  soft breathing. 

That’s how Louis wakes up; tangled with Harry. His eyes flutter open to see Harry resting his head so, so close to his. His breaths more like puffs, making the curls that have fallen over his face to fly and then fall back. He looks so peaceful and Louis has seen this Harry after a long, long time. He pushes back the hair that seem to be tickling Harry's nose that pulls out a muffled groan from him. He pulls Louis closer and tightens his arms around him, rendering Louis powerless to move even a muscle. 

“Harry,” Louis whines. “Let me go. I need to pee,” 

“Nope,” Harry whispers. Louis laughs because Harry’s talking in his sleep. He really is. “I’m never letting you go,” 

“Oh no. That'd be bad, I'll pee in my bed.  Oh, the shame!” Louis jokes even though he knows Harry can’t hear him. He tries to wiggle but Harry’s hold is surprisingly very strong and Louis wonders how.

It’s after the constant wriggling, that Harry actually gets out of his sleep. And realising he’s holding Louis hostage he lets go quickly. “Oh shit. I’m sorry,”

“Yeah you better be.” Louis says. He tries to ignore the absolute regret on Harry’s face. Although, he doesn’t blame him. “I almost peed right here because of you.” He tries to laugh but it comes out more as a cough.

“I’m sorry,” Harry pouts now. 

“Hmm...yeah whatever.” 

Louis wishes they could’ve laid in bed together for longer. But he knows he shouldn’t. Every day it’s getting harder and harder to hold back his thoughts and  feelings and his words. 

And so, it begins. 

*

About three weeks into staying at Louis’ place, Harry starts getting into better moods. Much happier and a feeling of safety. Louis can tell because the biggest advantage of being an omega  is he can tell what Harry is feeling by his scent. And the smell is so good, it gets up all in Louis’ head making him heady. He's been going for runs a lot lately due to the same reason. Being around Harry all the time isn’t boding well at all for him. 

He knows Harry can’t really tell Louis’ scent because he takes suppressant and tries not to release it too much. He doesn’t like his home smelling of himself. But Harry, he has always been like that. He never held back himself, in any and every sense. It was never a matter before because they had never truly spent so much time  around each other. They both have their own jobs – Harry's very new one, though – but they ended up  having same working times which made it impossible for Louis to be away. 

He was glad though, he started running. It helps him have an actual reason to be out of the house. So, when Harry suggests he join Louis too, it makes him stop in his tracks. He wonders how he didn’t drop the dishes he was carrying to be washed. 

“What?”

“I was thinking, I should come with you on the runs,” Harry says moving past him and into the kitchen, leaving behind a trail of his scent. Louis clenches his jaw and tries not to take a deep breath. 

“Uhhh...” Louis literally feels at a loss for words. What can he even say right now?

“Do you not want me to join you?” Harry asks, turning his head to look at him from

“I... no?” 

Harry stops and turns around. “What do you mean? Is it because  you're seeing someone? Oh my god, louis. I’m sorry. It’s alright. I'll find some time to go on my own. I'm such an idiot sometimes -”

“Harry!” Louis exclaims. “It’s not because I'm in love with someone else. It’s because I’m in love with you!” When Louis  realises what he’s just said he bites his tongue. Oh no. 

Harry stares at him, wide eyes, mouth opening and closing like a fish like he’s trying to say something. Then, he comes closer to Louis and when  they're almost a feet apart Harry speaks. “I’m in love with you, too. It’s why I finally broke up with Brian. He was not only getting too much but also because I  had fallen in love with you, Louis.”

Wait, what? Louis can’t believe what he’s hearing. It seems like the whole words has taken a turn. He can’t believe that the universe is on his side, that things are working in his favor. 

“I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship,” Harry continues. Then he smiles, looking down at the floor, “I’m glad I asked to run with you. I had been thinking you’re secretly meeting someone while out for runs. And I thought that it might lead you to confess who it is. I admit I wasn’t expecting this type of confession.”

“Me neither. I was panicking so hard right now. Your stupid scent wasn’t letting me even be able to think for a second.” He smacks Harry’s chest. And running was the only way I could get some fresh air.” 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it affected you so much. We've been friends forever. I thought omegas helped each other with their scents. But I get why it must have been difficult...” Harry says, his cheeks turning bright red. 

“Now, kiss me, you fool,” Louis says, keeping the dishes he was still holding on the counter. 

And so, Harry kisses him. Its soft and sweet and deep, filled with all the things they had to keep hidden from each other for so long. And Louis is glad it all worked out. Even though it was a took a long time; way longer than Louis had hoped for. He's glad they’re here; and that’s all that matters.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are always appreciated <3 Thank you so much for reading!


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